THE “RESORT IN HOUSE” IN VIETNAM BY ALPES GREEN DESIGN AND BUILD

SYNOPSIS

The “Resort in House” in Da Nang, Vietnam is an exemplary tropical townhouse designed by Alpes Green Design. The 2.5 bedroom home is a long, narrow volume punctured with garden courts and a light well, while enveloped by a ‘porous’ facade that maximizes cross ventilation and daylighting. This facade also features pockets of green that lend a unique character to the building.

The ideology behind the design is to bring relaxation into the living space by way of sunshine, wind and even rain, along with the pockets of garden space and an indoor pool. The “Resort in House” offers a viable case study for a sustainable, energy efficient home on a relatively small foot print. The video above gives an inside look at the home. (Though not in english).

ARCHITECT’S DESCRIPTION

Urban Vietnam today is rapidly expanding using symmetrical and uniform architecture (townhouses) providing boring and dry architectural morphology. Interiors often are closed in, cramped and absorb heat. Alpes creates unique designs which are both beautiful and provide natural ventilation. Young couples and architects have concerns and different feelings regarding the main ideas for home design.

People want to create interesting features in Da Nang urban neighborhoods in order to:

The 1st floor water element, a beautiful 9m long pool, allows the family to swim, and is a very important factor in cooling hot air in the house. The central open green space provides airflow, access to different parts of the house via open stairs and bridges, the family always has a fresh and natural environment in every room.

Glass doors expand the visibility of the open green space. Split level transitions cleverly link rooms which is more inviting than closed solid walls. It creates visually beautiful scenes. Skylights, open spaces, and vents in walls permit natural light to create a healthy and bright environment. The combination of natural light and airflow are extremely beneficial as opposed to houses with poor ventilation, artificial light that absorb a lot of heat.

For “Resort in House”, the architect designed creative solutions such as concrete louver curtains with a decorative function. They allow in natural light but not direct hot sun and allow the heat to escape. They are beautiful and soothing while controlling the light and temperature.

Danang, Vietnam is a sunny city. Rooftop gardens mitigate the heat absorbed through the roof of the house. The grass and plants create a protective “skin” or jacket for the house to reduce heat radiation. These rooftop gardens are also expand the living area and are great at night for stargazing, barbeques, and relaxing. A natural rooftop park in your home.

The west (heat exposed wall) was designed using special brick walls with ventilation holes created to reduce direct sun while allowing air flow. This idea uses the concept of the traditional curtains of the people in Central Region of Vietnam.

Creating the natural environment also utilized decorative concrete, natural rock and brick, and stone flooring which are known to be less heat absorbing and add natural beauty. The synchronous interior architecture unifies the house with natural details such as iron decoration, wood furniture, bamboo, and pottery.

The “Resort in House” at 42 Dang Thai Mai Street in Danang is a true gem marking the new nature of architecture in Vietnam. The unified design of the exterior and interior creates natural light, soothing materials, inviting spaces, and a healthy living environment. The feeling, appearance, and natural cooling allow individuals to live and own houses that in the past could only be experienced in luxury resorts and villas.